Semi-rigid tissue package

ABSTRACT

The present package for rolled tissue products is formed from a semi-rigid film having a bending stiffness greater than about 20.0 mgf that when folded and sealed provides the package with distinct, planar walls that provide a clear view of the tissue products and may be printed with brand indicia. The package can be provided with a resealable flap that provides easy and convenient repeated access to the tissue products. Also, after products have been dispensed, the package maintains its form and integrity, which is not only visually pleasing, but also permits the package to be stacked even after it has been opened and tissue products have been dispensed. The package rigidity is provided by the material and package configuration and does not require a container or the like to retain the product and provide stability to the package.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Rolled products, particularly rolled tissue products, such as papertowels, toilet tissue, disposable shop towels, and wipes, for example,are sometimes packaged and shipped in bundles comprising a plurality ofrolls. The bundled packages often have two or more rolls stacked in aside-by-side fashion with another two or more rolls. Often, to providethe bundle with structural integrity, the rolled products are arrangedin a vertical, stacked configuration (i.e., a longitudinal axis of eachcore of each roll is generally vertical). The group of verticallyoriented rolls is then processed through a bundler which applies anoverwrap. The overwrap is sealed with a gusset seal on the leading andtrailing sides of the group of rolled products. Arranging rolls in thismanner allows for stacking of packages and the arrangement of stacks onpallets for shipping and display.

While conventional gusset seals offer many advantages on bundledpackages of tissue products, such as improved sealing and handling, theyoften require folds and creases of multiple layers of the overwrap thatmay result in poor visual appearance on the outer perimeter of thebundle. Further, the fold and creases may block visual aspects of theindividually wrapped packages contained therein. The folds and creasesmay also cover up or distort valuable branding information on theindividually wrapped packages. Furthermore, the folds and creases caninhibit the full use of all the package face areas for advertising orbranding.

Thus, there is a need for packages comprising two or more rolledproducts, where the gusset seal does not significantly interfere withvisibility of the individual rolled tissue products or branding indiciaon the individually wrapped packages enclosed therein. There is also aneed for a package having gussets that do not interfere with brandingindicia on one or more faces of the package.

Not only do conventional overwrapped bundles have gussets and creasesthat can negatively affect the visual aesthetics of the package andlimit the surface area of the package that may be printed, but thegussets and seals are typically not resalable and must be permanentlyruptured to access and dispense the rolled tissue products. Further, theoverwrap is typically flexible and becomes deformed after dispensing ofa product, resulting in a package that cannot be stacked and has pooraesthetics.

Thus, there is also a need for packages comprising two or more rolledproducts, where the package is resealable and maintains its form andintegrity after a product has been dispensed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention solves many of the problems of prior artoverwrapped bundles of tissue products. The present package is formedfrom a semi-rigid film, that when sealed and folded provides the packagewith distinct, planar walls that provide a clear view of the packagecontents and that are amenable to printing with brand indicia. Further,the semi-rigid film and package configuration provides a package thatcan be provided with a resealable flap that provides easy and convenientrepeated access to the package contents. Also, after products have beendispensed, the package maintains its form and integrity, which is notonly visually pleasing, but also permits the package to be stacked evenafter it has been opened and rolled products have been dispensed.

Accordingly, in one embodiment the present invention provides a packagefor tissue products comprising a bottom wall, a top wall, oppositesidewalls, and opposite end walls, wherein the package includes a flapwhich is movable between a closed position and an open position tofacilitate access to the package interior, and which may compriseportions of the top wall and an adjoining sidewall of the package. Thepackage is preferably made of a semi-rigid plastic material that isbendable so as to permit the flap to bend as it is moved between aclosed and an open position, but which allows the package to retain itsshape even after all of the products have been dispensed. In this mannerthe invention provides a package that does not depend upon a separatecontainer, such as a frame, carrier, carton, or the like, to retain andprotect the package contents and provide structural integrity to thepackage.

In certain embodiments the package may be configured so that when theflap is in an open position, the tissue product is accessible from theside as well as the top, which permits a user to grasp a larger portionof the product, particularly when the package is full, or near full anda portion of the product is retained by a portion of the package beyondthe opening. Further, permitting access from two faces of the package,such as from the top wall and an adjoining sidewall, permits the productto be removed without undue distortion.

In other embodiments the present invention provides a unitary packageformed from a single piece of semi-rigid plastic film having bendingstiffness from about 20.0 to about 60.0 mgf and more preferably fromabout 25.0 to about 50.0 mgf. The single piece of semi-rigid plasticfilm is folded and sealed to form the package. The package contents areaccessed and removed from the package by a flap that is integrallyformed with the package top wall by forming a line of weakness in thesingle piece of semi-rigid plastic film used to form the package.

In still other embodiments the present invention provides a package fortissue products comprising a bottom wall, a top wall with an openingdisposed thereon, opposite sidewalls, and opposite end walls, whereinthe package includes a flap covering the opening. The flap may be formedentirely of a separate piece of material and be separable from thepackage or may comprise portions of the top wall to prevent the flapfrom being completely removed from the package. The flap may be peelablyand resealably sealed along one or more edges. An opening is provided inthe package walls underlying the flap. The opening underlying the flapis preferably sized so as to permit the tissue products to be dispensedwithout deforming. The opening may be formed by cutting the film used toform the package or may be made by providing a line of weakness in thetop wall beneath the flap and the flap may be adhered to the top wall sothat as the flap is pulled open, portions of the top wall are pulledaway with the flap. The line of weakness may extend about the entireperiphery of the opening or may extend only about a portion of theopening, so that the portions of the top wall and sidewall which arepulled away when the flap is opened are not completely disconnected fromthe adjoining package material, but remain connected thereto.

In other embodiments to open the package the flap may be provided with alabel that is peeled away from the package material on one side of theline of weakness. As the label is peeled away the package material isparted at the line of weakness to provide the opening. The line ofweakness may extend along the upper edge of one of the sidewalls whereit meets the top wall and then along the top wall so that an opening isformed along two faces of the package.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a package according to one embodiment ofthe invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the package of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the package of FIG. 1 in an openconfiguration;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a package according to another embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 5 is a frontal view of the package of FIG. 4 in an openconfiguration;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a package according to still anotherembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is front view of the package of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is front view of a sheet of plastic film useful for forming thepackage of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention generally provides a semi-rigid package forstoring and dispensing tissue products and more particularly rolledtissue products, such as paper towels, toilet tissue, disposable shoptowels, and wipes, for example. Unlike prior art rolled tissue productpackaging, which typically comprise thin, flexible films that are easilydeformed and have little structural integrity, particularly after one ormore products have been dispensed, the present package is formed from asemi-rigid material that provides the package with structural integrity,even when the products have been dispensed. Further, the present packageprovides a flap that allows easy access to the contents of the packageand protects the products when the package is not in use.

The invention is generally embodied in a package for tissue productscomprising a bottom wall, a top wall, opposite sidewalls and oppositeend walls. The package is preferably formed from a web of semi-rigidplastic material, more particularly a plastic material having a bendingstiffness greater than about 20.0 and more preferably greater than about25.0 and still more preferably greater than about 30.0 mgf, such as fromabout 20.0 to about 60.0 mgf and more preferably from about 25.0 toabout 50.0 mgf. As used herein, “bending resistance” means theresistance measured in the machine direction (MD) of the material via aGurley resistance test as set forth in TAPPI Standard Test T 543 om-11(Bending Resistance of Paper (Gurley type tester)), and reported inmilligrams of force. A suitable testing apparatus is a Gurley DigitalResistance Tester, model 4171-D manufactured by Teledyne Gurley, abusiness having offices in Troy, N.Y., U.S.A. A specimen is cut from awipes dispenser and tested in accordance with the above-referenced TAPPItest. Although the length and width dimensions of the specimen that iscut and tested may be adjusted to accommodate the size or nature of asample as noted in section 6 of the procedure, the force measurement forany given sample size is normalized to correspond to a 50.8 mm (2 in) by63.5 mm (2.5 in) sample size, as set forth in TAPPI Standard Test 543om-11, including the use of the correct specified conversion factordepending on the test parameters used. The table below sets forth thebending stiffness, as measured in the MD, for various materials,including those useful in the present invention, and also provides thespecimen size, weight and mounting position for each material tested inaccordance with TAPPI Standard Test 543 om-11.

TABLE 1 Weight Distance Sample Sample Bending Weight from Pivot WidthLength Stiffness Sample (g) (in.) (in.) (in.) (mgf) Cottonelle* GentleCare Overwrap Film 5 1 2 1 2.38 Pampers* Baby Fresh* Soft Pack 72 ct. 52 1 1 14.40 Huggies* Natural Care Soft Pack 32 ct. 5 1 1 1 8.01 3.5 milOPET/PE Coex 25 2 2 1 35.03 6.0 mil HDPE laminate 5 2 1 1 21.24

The semi-rigid material allows the package to retain its shape evenafter all of the products have been dispensed. In this manner theinvention provides a package that does not depend upon a separatecontainer, such as a frame, carrier, carton, or the like, to retain andprotect the package contents and provide structural integrity to thepackage. Rather than rely upon a container to retain and hold thepackage contents, the present package contents, such as rolls of tissue,are in direct contact with the walls of the package which reducespackaging cost and complexity and permits for easy dispensing of theproduct.

While the stiffness of the film material is significant to ensure thatthe package retains its shape even after all of the contents have beendispensed, the thickness of the semi-rigid film may vary. Generally,stiffness is a function of both the film's modulus and its thickness.Thus, a thinner film may be used so long as the film's modulus issufficiently high to provide a stiffness greater than at least about20.0 mgf, from about 20.0 to about 50.0 mgf and more preferably fromabout 25.0 to about 40.0 mgf. In certain preferred embodiments the filmshould be thin enough so it can be easily folded and manipulated to formthe instant package, yet thick enough to provide the necessarystructural integrity and barrier properties to protect and preserve therolled tissue products contained therein. Thus, in certain preferredembodiments, the film has a thickness of at least about 50 microns, andmore preferably at least about 60 microns and still more preferably atleast about 75 microns, such as from about 50 to about 200 microns andstill more preferably from about 70 to about 100 microns. Caliper ismeasured according to Tappi Test Method T 411 om-15 and typically hasunits of mils or microns.

Like the thickness, the modulus of the film is preferably sufficientlyhigh so as to provide the film with sufficient stiffness to resistcollapse of the package when the contents are dispensed, such as abending stiffness greater than about 20.0 mgf and more preferablygreater than about 25.0 mgf and still more preferably greater than about30.0 mgf, such as from about 20.0 to about 60.0 mgf and more preferablyfrom about 25.0 to about 50.0 mgf. Films having the foregoing stiffnessare desirable not only for their ability to resist collapse afterproducts have been dispensed from the package, but are readily bendableand sufficiently flexible to be folded and shaped into a package withoutadditional processing steps such as scoring, cutting and the like.

In addition to being sufficiently stiff to maintain the integrity of thepackage after dispensing of the products, yet sufficiently pliable topermit bending and folding, the packaging film may have a modulusgreater than about 350 MPa and more preferably greater than about 450MPa, such as from about 350 to about 1250 MPa and more preferably fromabout 450 MPa to about 750 MPa. In certain preferred embodiments thefilm has a thickness from 70 to about 100 microns and a modulus fromabout 450 to about 750 MPa. The secant modulus is the ratio of stress tocorresponding strain at a strain of 1.0 percent, that is, the slope ofthe straight line that joins the origin and a point on the actualstress-strain curve at a strain of 1.0 percent. Secant modulus ismeasured according to ASTM D790 and has units of megapascals (MPa,pounds per square inch).

The film may comprise one or more plastic resins such as polyethylene(LDPE, LLPE, VLDPE, HDPE, MDPE), polypropylene, polyethyleneterephalate, nylon, other vinyl polymers and copolymers such as thosemade from vinyl acetate, vinyl alcohol, vinyl chloride, and so forth. Insome embodiments, the film may comprise combinations of two or more ofthe foregoing synthetic resins. For example, blends of two or moreresins can be used to form a single layer film, or even a multiple layerfilm. In particularly preferred embodiments the film is a multi-layerfilm composed of two or more layers of the foregoing resins bondedtogether by any known technique such as co-extrusion (“coex”),laminating with or without an adhesive, coating, or the like. Forexample, the film may comprise coextruded polyethylene/polypropylenelaminated to polyethylene terephalate (PET) or PET laminated to LDPE(low density polyethylene). In other embodiments the film may comprisecoextruded polyethylene (PE) and oriented polyethylene terephthalate(oPET).

The film is preferably amenable to sealing so as to form one or moresealed edges when folded into a package. In certain embodiments the filmmay be heat sealable. For example, the film may comprise a thermoplasticresin that is rendered tacky when heated allowing two portions of thefilm brought into facing arrangement with one another to be bonded. Inother embodiments portions of the film brought into facing relation withone another may be bonded using an adhesive bonding layer or coating.The preferred adhesive coatings are those based upon thermoplasticresins whereby the coating is non-tacky at room temperature but becomestacky and adhesive when heated, such as a coating of polyethylene resinor acrylic resin.

In certain embodiments the package film may comprise a laminated filmhaving one or more layers which respond to heat and pressure by forminga seal of variable strength, with the strength of the seal depending inpart on the magnitude of the heat transfer and pressure applied. Thus,when the film is folded upon itself, such as a transverse end seal, apeelable seal region may be provided adjacent a permanent seal region byvarying the heat transfer, pressure and width of application between thetwo regions.

With reference now to the figures, the package 10 comprises a unitarypiece of film 17 folded to form a top wall 12, a bottom wall 14, a pairof sidewalls 16, and a pair of end walls 18. The package preferablycontains a tissue product comprising a plurality of rolled tissueproducts, such as rolls of bath tissue 30 disposed in the interior ofthe package. The film may be folded in any number of differentconfigurations to form a four-sided package. For example, the packagemay be manufactured by folding the film in a horizontal wrappingoperation by continuously wrapping a web of film about the rolled tissueproducts with marginal longitudinal opposite edges of the web broughttogether to form a longitudinal seal beneath the product, and withtransverse end seals formed at the ends of the package to define endwalls.

In other embodiments, such as that illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, a singleunitary piece of film 17 may be folded and sealed to form a package 10having a pair of opposed transverse edge seals 13, 15 and a longitudinalseal (not illustrated in FIG. 1) disposed on the bottom wall 14.Depending on the properties of the film, the seals may be either heatseals or cold seals and may be either permanent seals or resealableseals. In a particularly preferred embodiment all of the edges, thetransverse edge seals and the longitudinal bottom seal, are permanentlyheat sealed. While the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 comprises apair of opposed transverse edge seals and a longitudinal seal disposedalong the bottom wall, the film may be orientated and wrapped about thepackage contents such that the opposed sealed edges are oriented in thelongitudinal direction of the package and the bottom seal is oriented inthe transverse direction of the package.

With continued reference to FIGS. 1-3, the top wall 12 comprises a flap21 that may be separated from the top wall 12 to provide access to therolled tissue products 30 in the package. The flap 21 is defined by aline of weakness 19 disposed on the top wall 12. The line of weaknessmay be produced using methods including but not limited to scoring,perforating, chemical treatment, preferably laser scoring, laserperforation, mechanical scoring, mechanical perforation, embossingmethods, or combinations thereof. As depicted in FIG. 1, the line ofweakness 19 forming the flap 21 extends along only a portion of itsperimeter, such as three sides, leaving the fourth side attached to thetop wall 12. The attached fourth side may form a living hinge whichallows the flap 21 to be moved between a closed and open position. Whena user separates the flap 21 from the top wall 12 by fracturing the film17 along the line of weakness 19 an opening is formed in the top wall ofthe package to permit a user to access and dispense the tissue products30.

In other embodiments the flap may be formed entirely of a separate pieceof material and be separable from the package. The flap may be peelablyand resealably sealed along one or more edges. An opening is provided inthe package walls underlying the flap. The opening underlying the flapis preferably sized so as to permit the tissue products to be dispensedwithout deforming. The opening may be formed by cutting the film used toform the package or may be made by providing a line of weakness in thetop wall beneath the flap and the flap may be adhered to the top wall sothat as the flap is pulled open, portions of the top wall are pulledaway with the flap. The line of weakness may extend about the entireperiphery of the opening or may extend only about a portion of theopening, so that the only a portion of the top wall is pulled away whenthe flap is opened. In this manner the flap is not completelydisconnected from the adjoining top wall, but remains connected thereto.

During manufacture of the package, the web is preferably pre-cut with adie-cut perforation or otherwise provided with a line of weaknesscorresponding to the desired shape of the opening. In other embodiments,the flap may be applied as a separate piece to the web after the line ofweakness defining the opening has been disposed on the web. Where theflap is applied as a separate piece, it is preferably a label havingadhesive covering one side thereof. The label is applied to the web tocover the die-cut perforation or other line of weakness. As the webadvances, the label is folded with the underlying substrate, and remainsin position.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, when flap 21 is pulled back from the top wall12, it forms a dispensing opening through which the rolled tissueproducts 30 may be dispensed. A portion of flap 21 remains attached tothe top wall 12 along one of its edges. Preferably the size of theopening 19 and hence the size of flap 21 is at least around 30 percentof the surface area of film 17 and advantageously at least 50 percent ofthe surface area of film 17 so as to more easily gain access to therolled tissue products contained within container 10.

Alternatively, the flap may have a line of weakness disposed completelyaround its perimeter on all sides so as to be completely separable fromthe film when removed by the user to form the dispensing opening.However, it is believed that it may be more desirable to have the lineof weakness extend about only a portion of the periphery of the opening,so that the package material within the line of weakness remainsconnected to adjacent package material along one edge of the flap. Thismay eliminate the need for a permanent seal to be formed at thislocation, in that the strength of the package material remaining intactwill prevent the flap from being entirely removed from the underlyingpackage material. In accordance with this feature, the line of weakness19 illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 is not a closed curve extending about theentire periphery of the opening.

In certain embodiments, such as that illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, a sealinglabel 20 may be affixed to the flap 21 to seal the flap in a closedposition when the package 10 is not in use. Advantageously, the sealinglabel 20 is permanently affixed to the flap 21 using an appropriatefirst adhesive and resealably attached to the top wall 12 using a secondadhesive. As shown in FIG. 1, the sealing label 20 covers a portion ofthe top wall 12, which generally defines a sealing area 27. The sealingarea 27 terminates prior to any side 16, 18 of the package 10. Thus, inthe embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, the sealing area 27 does notextend to any of the sides of the package and the package opening isentirely disposed on the top wall 12 of the package 10.

Opening of the package may be facilitated by providing the sealing label20 with a tab 22. The tab 22 extends from a portion of the sealing label20 and is preferably not attached to the top wall 12, but rather hangsfree from the package so as to be readily grasped by a user. In thismanner the tab 22 can be grasped by a user's fingers and thumb andpulled to initiate removal of the label 20 and subsequently the flap 21.Further, the tab 22 may facilitate closing of the container, providingan adhesive free surface for the user to grasp and position to the label20 for proper sealing and securing of the flap 21. The size of tab andits shape may be optimized for functionality. For example, in certainembodiments the tab is semicircular and has a surface area from about 1to about 10 percent, and more preferably from about 2 to about 5percent, total surface area of sealing label.

The sealing label 20 may be removably adhered to the top wall 12 byapplying an adhesive to the underside thereof. The sealing label 20 maythen be brought in contact with the top 12 to seal the package 10.Advantageously, adhesive provides a removable seal between the sealinglabel 20 and the top 12. In those embodiments where the sealing label isprovided with a tab, adhesive is preferably not applied to the tab.Alternatively, if adhesive is applied to the tab, a deadening agent,either a chemical or a layer of material, is applied to the top wall toprevent the tab portion from adhering to the top of the package.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a second embodiment of the invention comprisinga package 10 which has a top wall 12, a bottom wall (not illustrated), apair of sidewalls 16 and a pair of end walls 18. The package contains aplurality of rolled tissue products 30. The end walls compriseextensions of the top, bottom and sidewalls which are brought togetherat a transverse end seal 27 on each end wall 18 with extensions 29 ofthe sidewalls 16 being folded inward at the ends of the package 10. Thepair of sidewalls 16 are separated from the bottom and top walls a pairof longitudinal edge seals 23, 25. In this manner the side and top wallsof the back are substantially planar and well suited for receivingproduct indicia. Further, the edge seals 23, 25 may further enhance therigidity of the package 10 to further facilitate its retention of shapeonce its contents have been dispensed.

To facilitate access to the tissue product 30 in the package 10 whilealso enabling the package to be resealed, a single opening is formed inadjacent portions of the top wall 12 and one of the end walls 18. Theopening may be covered by a flap 21 having a sealing label 20 extendingabout a portion of its periphery. A tab 22 is left unsealed tofacilitate initiation of opening of the package. The width of the flap21 is approximately equal to the width of the opening (OW, illustratedin FIG. 3). In particularly preferred embodiments, such as thatillustrated in FIG. 3, the shape of the flap 21 and the opening aresubstantially similar and preferably the opening has an opening width(OW) about 90 to about 110 percent and more preferably from about 95 toabout 105 percent of the width of the rolled tissue products (RW).

While in certain embodiments it may be preferable that the opening andflap be of similar shape and dimensions, the invention is not solimited. In other embodiments an opening is provided in the packagewalls underlying the flap where the opening has a width less than thewidth of the flap. In such embodiments the opening underlying the flapis preferably sized so as to permit the tissue products to be dispensedwithout deforming and the flap is sized to form a seal between the flapand top wall along a portion of the opening perimeter. The opening maybe formed by cutting the film used to form the package or may be made byproviding a line of weakness in the top wall beneath the flap and theflap may be adhered to the top wall so that as the flap is pulled open,portions of the top wall are pulled away with the flap. The line ofweakness may extend about the entire periphery of the opening or mayextend only about a portion of the opening, so that the portions of thetop wall and sidewall which are pulled away when the flap is opened arenot completely disconnected from the adjoining package material, butremain connected thereto.

With reference now to FIGS. 6 and 7, yet another embodiment of a packageaccording to the present invention is illustrated. The package comprisesa top wall 12, a bottom wall 14, a pair of sidewalls 16 and a pair ofend walls 18. The pair of end walls 18 comprises a folded and sealedclosure which will be described in further detail below. The top wall12, bottom wall 14, sidewalls 16 and end walls 18 are all integralportions of a single sheet semi-rigid film material 17.

The sidewalls 16 comprise permanent longitudinal side seams 40, 42, 44,46. One of the longitudinal side seam 44 is formed by bringing themarginal edges 41, 43 of the sheet material 17 into sealing engagementwith each other. The other longitudinal side seams 40, 42 and 46 areformed by folding the sheet material 17 into facing arrangement withitself and sealing. The longitudinal side seams 40, 42, 44, 46 arepreferably permanently secured to one another via any conventionalsealing technique known in the art, such as heat sealing or welding. Theend walls 18 of the package are also preferably sealed to close thepackage. In certain embodiments the end walls are also sealed closed,for example, along permanent transverse end seal 29.

The package of the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 may bemanufactured by folding a single sheet of semi-rigid material, such asthe sheet illustrated in FIG. 8. The sheet may have a rectangular shapewith parallel edges 41, 43 that are brought together and sealed to forma permanent edge seal (illustrated as longitudinal seal 44 in FIGS. 6and 7) and form a tube like structure (not illustrated). The width ofthe permanent edge seal may vary, however, in certain embodiments thewidth may be from about 2 to about 10 mm. Additional permanent seals arethen formed to transform the tube into a parallelepiped package with thepermanent seal lines 40, 42, 44, 46 forming four substantially squarecorners of package 10. Opposing side walls 16 of the parallelepiped aretucked at the bottom edge and the first end seal is formed to seal afirst end wall of the package.

Prior to forming the second transverse end seal, the package is in theshape of a rectangular box with an open end through which rolled tissueproducts may be inserted to fill the package. After filling with tissueproducts, the opposing side walls are tucked at the top edge and thepackage is sealed parallel to the top edge of the upper end of thepackage to form the second end and seal the second end wall of thepackage.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to thespecific aspects thereof, it will be appreciated that those skilled inthe art, upon attaining an understanding of the foregoing, may readilyconceive of alterations to, variations of, and equivalents to theseaspects. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should beassessed as that of the appended claims and the following embodiments:

First Embodiment

A semi-rigid package and plurality of rolled tissue products disposedwithin the package, said package comprising a single sheet of semi-rigidmaterial having a bending stiffness from about 20.0 to about 60.0 mgffolded to form a bottom wall, a top wall, opposite sidewalls, andopposite end walls, a line of weakness disposed along the top wall andan end wall to define a flap and wherein each of the plurality of rolledtissue products contact the top wall, bottom wall, and at least onesidewall.

Second Embodiment

The semi-rigid package of the first embodiment wherein the flap isresealably secured to a portion of an end wall.

Third Embodiment

The semi-rigid package of the first or second embodiment comprising asealing label permanently affixed to the flap and resealably attached toa portion of an end wall.

Fourth Embodiment

The semi-rigid package of the any one of the first through thirdembodiments wherein the sealing label comprises a tab and wherein thetab is not attached to an end wall.

Fifth Embodiment

The semi-rigid package of the any one of the first through fourthembodiments wherein the semi-rigid material has a caliper greater thanabout 70 microns.

Sixth Embodiment

The semi-rigid package of any one of the first through fifth embodimentswherein the semi-rigid material has a secant modulus greater than about450 MPa.

Seventh Embodiment

The semi-rigid package of any one of the first through sixth embodimentswherein the semi-rigid material comprises two or more coextruded polymerlayers wherein one of the extruded polymer layers comprises orientedpolyethylene terephthalate, the material having a caliper from about 70to about 100 microns and a secant modulus from about 450 to about 750MPa.

Eight Embodiment

A semi-rigid package of tissue products having a longitudinal andtransverse direction, the package comprising: (a) a unitary semi-rigidfilm having a stiffness greater than about 20.0 mgf folded into apackage having a bottom wall, a top wall, opposite sidewalls, andopposite end walls, the walls defining an interior space; (b) first andsecond permanent transverse end seals sealing opposite end walls; (c) afirst pair of longitudinal edge seals sealing the top wall and oppositesidewalls; (d) a second pair of longitudinal edge seals sealing thebottom wall and opposite sidewalls; (e) a flap disposed on the top wall;and (f) a plurality of tissue products disposed in the interior space ofthe package.

Ninth Embodiment

The package of the eighth embodiment wherein the unitary semi-rigid filmcomprises first and second longitudinal edges that are folded togetherand sealed to form one of the first pair of longitudinal edge sealssealing top wall and opposite sidewalls.

Tenth Embodiment

The package of the eighth or ninth embodiment comprising a line ofweakness disposed along the top wall and an end wall to define the flap.

Eleventh Embodiment

The package of any one of the eighth through tenth embodiments whereinthe flap is resealably secured to a portion of an end wall.

Twelfth Embodiment

The package of any one of the eighth through eleventh embodimentsfurther comprising a sealing label permanently affixed to the flap andresealably attached to a portion of the top wall or an end wall.

Thirteenth Embodiment

The package of any one of the eighth through twelfth embodiments whereinthe semi-rigid material has a caliper from about 70 to about 100 micronsand a secant modulus from about 450 to about 750 MPa.

Fourteenth Embodiment

The package of any one of the eighth through thirteenth embodimentswherein the bottom wall, top wall and sidewalls are substantially planarand do not comprise a transverse seal.

Fifteenth Embodiment

The package of any one of the eighth through fourteenth embodimentswherein the tissue products comprise rolled tissue products consistingof a web of tissue spirally wound around a core having a longitudinalaxis, the longitudinal core axis arranged substantially parallel to thelongitudinal direction of the package and wherein each of the pluralityof tissue products contacts the top wall and bottom wall and at leastone sidewall.

Sixteenth Embodiment

The package of any one of the eighth through fifteenth embodimentswherein semi-rigid film having a stiffness from about 20.0 to about 60.0mgf.

Seventeenth Embodiment

The package of any one of the eighth through fifteenth embodimentswherein semi-rigid film having a stiffness from about 25.0 to about 50.0mgf.

Eighteenth Embodiment

The package of any one of the eighth through fifteenth embodimentswherein semi-rigid film having a stiffness from about 30.0 to about 40.0mgf.

1. A semi-rigid package and plurality of rolled tissue products disposedwithin the package, said package comprising a single sheet of semi-rigidmaterial having a bending stiffness greater than about 20.0 mgf foldedto form six substantially rectangular walls consisting of a bottom wall,a top wall, opposite sidewalls, and opposite end walls, a line ofweakness disposed along the top wall and an end wall to define a flapresealably secured to a portion of an end wall and attached to the topwall by a living hinge, and wherein each of the plurality of rolledtissue products contact the top wall, bottom wall, and at least onesidewall.
 2. The semi-rigid package of claim 1 wherein the flap isentirely disposed on the top wall.
 3. The semi-rigid package of claim 1wherein the flap comprises at least about 50 percent of the surface areaof the top wall.
 4. The semi-rigid package of claim 1 wherein the flapis disposed on the top wall and an end wall.
 5. The semi-rigid packageof claim 1 further comprising a sealing label permanently affixed to theflap and resealably attached to a portion of an end wall.
 6. The packageof claim 5 wherein the sealing label comprises a tab and wherein the tabis not attached to an end wall.
 7. The semi-rigid package of claim 1wherein the semi-rigid material has a caliper greater than about 70microns.
 8. The semi-rigid package of claim 1 wherein the semi-rigidmaterial has a secant modulus greater than about 450 MPa.
 9. Thesemi-rigid package of claim 1 wherein the semi-rigid material comprisestwo or more coextruded polymer layers wherein one of the extrudedpolymer layers comprises oriented polyethylene terephthalate, thematerial having a caliper from about 70 to about 100 microns and asecant modulus from about 450 to about 750 MPa.
 10. A semi-rigid packageof tissue products having a longitudinal and transverse direction, thepackage comprising: a. a unitary semi-rigid film having a stiffness fromabout 20 to about 60 mgf folded into a package having a bottom wall, atop wall, opposite sidewalls, and opposite end walls, the walls definingan interior space; b. first and second permanent transverse end sealssealing opposite end walls; c. a first pair of longitudinal edge sealssealing top wall and opposite sidewalls; d. a second pair oflongitudinal edge seals sealing bottom wall and opposite sidewalls; e. aflap disposed on the top wall and attached thereto by a living hinge;and f. a plurality of tissue products disposed in the interior space ofthe package.
 11. The package of claim 10 wherein the unitary semi-rigidfilm comprises first and second longitudinal edges that are foldedtogether and sealed to form one of the first pair of longitudinal edgeseals sealing top wall and opposite sidewalls.
 12. The package of claim10 further comprising a line of weakness disposed along the top wall andan end wall to define the flap
 13. The package of claim 12 wherein theflap is resealably secured to a portion of an end wall.
 14. The packageof claim 10 further comprising a sealing label permanently affixed tothe flap and resealably attached to a portion of the top wall or an endwall.
 15. The package of claim 14 wherein the sealing label comprises atab and wherein the tab is not attached to an end wall.
 16. Thesemi-rigid package of claim 10 wherein the semi-rigid material has acaliper from about 70 to about 100 microns.
 17. The semi-rigid packageof claim 10 wherein the semi-rigid material has a secant modulus fromabout 450 to about 750 MPa.
 18. The semi-rigid package of claim 10wherein the semi-rigid material comprises two or more coextruded polymerlayers wherein one of the extruded polymer layers comprises orientedpolyethylene terephthalate, the material having a caliper from about 70to about 100 microns and a secant modulus from about 450 to about 750MPa.
 19. The semi-rigid package of claim 10 wherein the bottom wall, topwall and sidewalls are substantially planar and do not comprise atransverse seal.
 20. (canceled)
 21. The package of claim 10 wherein thetissue products comprise rolled tissue products consisting of a web oftissue spirally around a core having a longitudinal axis, thelongitudinal core axis arranged substantially perpendicular to thelongitudinal direction of the package and wherein each of the pluralityof tissue products contacts the top wall and bottom wall and at leastone sidewall.
 22. (canceled)